Nov 1 (PTI) The Madras High Court today turned down a plea by Nalini, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, to grant an Indian visa to her daughter so that she could pursue her education in the country. Justice Prabha Sridevan closed the petition filed by Nalini seeking a direction to the External Affairs Ministry to grant the visa for an year, more..

Nov 1 (AT) I had been keeping away from the rebels for some time as I still had high hopes for some kind of peace talks to take place. But another -and the last rebel demonstration I attended - was coming up. I received a call from my last SIS boss in London asking if I could film it. The demo was to start in Hyde Park on the following Saturday. I took the long train to London from my "sleepy Berkshire village.." more..

Nov 1 (AT) So that�s that then. The peace talks I mean. While it would have been infinitely better for talks to have opened the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, that hope itself was utopian, given the character of the LTTE and its leader Prabhakaran, described by pioneering Che Guevara specialist Oxford�s Prof Andrew Sinclair in his Anatomy of terror: A history of terrorism, as "more extreme than Bin Laden." more..

Nov 1 (AT) Another member of the EPDP has been shot and killed in Point Pedro. The 47 year old EPDP activist Ramalingham Thavathurai of St. Ludes Road Thumpalai, Point Pedro was felled by bicycle riding two pistol wielding terrorists belonging to the LTTE. The shooting incident took place yesterday (31 October) morning at 9.00 AM, when Thavathurai was standing in front of the convenient shop which is in the front portion of his house. more..

Nov 1 (AT) Adhering to the county�s constitution is good governance: in the MOU to be signed by the government and the opposition two aspects of the common program are good governance and peace: the UNP leader says that development will follow subsequent to these two aspects being finalized. more..

Nov 1 (AT) Government of Sri Lanka launched its Trincomalee Divisional Livelihood Development Plan [DLDP] to uplift living conditions of the tsunami-affected community by building back better their livelihood. Mr. S. Rangaraja, Chief Secretary North and East Province was the chief guest. These plans covers Kuchchaveli, Muttur, Eachchilampattai, Kinniya and Town and Graverts of the Trincomalee District. more..

Nov 1 (AT) A Sri Lankan mother and her lover were arrested by the Moratuwa City Police in Sri Lanka, as they were busy packing heroin to 'earn money for their daughter's �coming of age party' (or, the puberty party) a Sinhala language newspaper reported here today (Oct 31). The woman's lawful husband had already been jailed, convicted on the offence of 'possession of drugs', the newspaper reported. more..

Nov 1 (TN) While the Sri Lanka Government negotiators in Geneva II heralded the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) as key to formulating �a political and constitutional framework for the resolution of the national question,� an APRC delegation has been touring India to study India's �federal� setup. more..

Nov 1 (TN) Fifteen students of Chenkalady Central College are alleged to have been abducted on Monday at 5.30 pm in Chenkalady in Batticaloa district by armed men traveling in a white van. The parents of one of the missing have lodged complaints with Eravur Police, International Red Cross(ICRC) and Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Tuesday afternoon, civil society sources said. more..

Nov 1 (AP) Sri Lanka's military on Tuesday presented to the media some 25 ethnic Tamils who escaped after being forcibly recruited by Tamil Tigers and trained to join the rebels' separatist war. Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said the men from eastern Sri Lanka had surrendered to troops in the past three weeks. more..

Nov 1 (Hindu) Sri Lanka on Tuesday said re-opening of A 9 highway � which links Jaffna peninsula to the rest of the country � was not feasible from the "national security" point. It said the highway would help LTTE force Jaffna University students to join its militant training camps. more..

Nov 1 (BBC) The deputy leader of the United National Party is calling for reforms in the leadership of the UNP in a public statement issued on Tuesday. The General Secretary of the Party Tissa Attanayake played down the significance of the statement. The General secretary also said the statement does not reflect the policy of the party and it is the view of the deputy leader. more..

Nov 1 (AP) The Sri Lankan navy on Tuesday destroyed a boat suspected of transporting arms and ammunition for Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's north, the military said. "One of the LTTE boats bringing arms and ammunition was destroyed," military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said, referring to the rebels by the acronym of their formal name, LTTE. more..

Nov 1 (ML) Even as the latest round of peace talks ended in disaster last weekend with the two delegations talking at cross purposes, Pirapaharan was getting ready for something big nearly four weeks before his anticipated �Heroes Day� address on November 27. He ordered his 13 member team to return to the Wanni immediately and cancel their scheduled trips to Norway and Iceland. more..

Nov 1 (ML) The LTTE rejected seven of the issues put forwarded by the government at the recently concluded peace talks and insisted on the reopening of the A9 highway. Defence Spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella charged that the LTTE�s demand for the opening of the A9 road was solely to further strengthen itself and said that it was the LTTE which compelled the government to close the A9 road on August 11. more..

Nov 1 (ML) The conclusion of the Geneva talks without any agreement to meet again in the near future indicates that there will be an intensification of tension and hostilities. Arguably, this next round of hostilities could be decisive in that each side will attempt to create and consolidate a balance of power on the ground in their favour and move to negotiations on the basis of that balance of power. more..

Nov 1 (NYT) The killer asked for "Ketheshwaran." It was his full first name and one that he had not often heard since leaving the Tamil militant movement. For whatever reason, it made Ketheshwaran Loganathan, known lately as Ketesh, go quickly down the stairs and to the front gate of his house. He had not even opened the gate when, through the grille, the assassin put a bullet through his head. He died quickly. more..

Nov 1 (LBO) Sri Lanka�s consumer watchdog is stepping up raids in shops and supermarkets to weed our creative pricing and other offences, as Sri Lanka�s cost of living soars. Consumer prices in Sri Lanka went up to 17.2 percent in October from 15.4 percent in September, driven upwards by higher prices of cigarettes, alcohol, eggs, rice, bread, wheat flour, certain types of vegetables, fresh fish and meat. more..

Nov 1 (TN) The Sri Lankan Army (SLA) carried out a large scale road checking and monitoring operation at the entry points of all major roads to Jaffna Municipal limits from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesday, civil sources said. Large number of soldiers at entry points of Kankesanthurai road, Palaly road, Manipay road, Point Pedro road and A9 Kandy road stopped all vehicles entering to Jaffna more..

Nov 1 (LeN) Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC) Chairman Sirthunga Jayasooriya and members Mano Ganesan MP, Vasudeva Nanayakara MMC and Vickramabahu Karunaratne met IGP Victor Perera Tuesday 31st evening at Sri Lanka police Headquarters, Colombo and lodged their strong protests on this wave of never ending abductions. With the latest additions, there have been 54 abductions in Colombo city alone and of these, 36 are missing, more..

Nov 1 (LeN) With the Tournament elimination loss, it is normal for fans to be disgusted and disgruntled. What's hard to fathom is the form SL was in, and some even relating it to the '96 World cup form. To be fair to the Team though, we were confronted by one of the best ever One-Day bowling attacks; Pollock & Ntini combination who aptly demonstrated their effectiveness few days later against a hapless Pakistan Team. more..

Nov 1 (GDI) The Government has taken action to implement a comprehensive Mine Action programme. The chief aim of this programme is to make Sri Lanka, mine free by the end of the year 2006. The Ministry of Nation Building and Infrastructure stated in a statement that clearing most of the High and Medium priority areas expect Jaffna and parts of Wanni, by the end of the year 2006 is another proposes of this programme. more..

Nov 1 (GDI) Air Force targeted the LTTE military position at Kadiraweli in Batticaloa area today in the morning hours as a defensive attack after the Tiger terrorists continuously attacked the Army camps in Kajuwatta in Kadiraweli using artillery and mortar, since morning. Hence the Air force, as a retaliatory action targeted the identified military positions to lower the intensity of the ongoing LTTE attacks. more..

Nov 1 (GDI) The stock exchange will get another boost as the Government is planning to expand the listed equity portfolio of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Minister Athauda Seneviratne speaking at the launch of the EPF's new website on Monday said that the Government is looking at the possibility of increasing the share of EPF invested in the stock market. more..

Nov 1 (GDI) The Employees Provident Fund of the Central Bank and the Department of Labour have jointly developed a website for the EPF (www.epf.lk) that provides a wide range of information about the fund in all the three languages. This website marks an important milestone in the Fund fulfilling a long felt need by employers, members and the public. more..

Nov 1 (GDI) The Sri Lanka Ministry of Education is going to recruit a new batch of 452 administrative officials. Fifty-two of the administrative posts under this process are for the Tamil medium, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education. These administrative officials have been selected via a competitive examination. Interviews are to be held this week for the recruitment. more..

Nov 1 (ANN) The humanitarian situation in the North is fast worsening with no end in sight. The A-9 highway remains closed and sea transport has become difficult due to the monsoons and LTTE threats. Unless supplies are restored shortly, a humanitarian disaster is likely to be the outcome. The LTTE is exploiting the situation to the fullest to further its interests. more..

Nov 1 (AT) Sri Lanka ambassador to the United States Bernard Goonetilleke had a field day in American diplomacy�s most important and sacred center, U.S. Foreign Service Institute that produces American diplomats to the world. He hit a �home run� when he described the �myth� of �traditional Tamil homeland concept� before the diplomats, and would be diplomats, casting an insinuation to some experienced diplomats that, more..

Nov 1 (AT) The deputy leader of the UNP, the country�s main parliamentary opposition depicting the growing discontent in the party about its leadership charged in a public statement that all the decision making in the party is controlled by a privileged clique. The deputy leader, Karu Jayasuriya, who polled a large number of votes at the last general election and who was a powerful minister in the former Ranil Wickremesinghe�s cabinet more..

Nov 1 (BBC) Sri Lanka have asked the International Cricket Council to bring forward the start of day-night games when there is a chance of dew affecting the outcome. Matches have begun at 2.30pm during the current Champions Trophy in India but Sri Lanka team manager Michael Tissera says 12.30 would have been preferable. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene, however, has offered no excuses for their first round exit from the competition. more..

Nov 1 (PISL) Chief of the Government delegation to the Geneva talks, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday asserted that their discussions with the LTTE at Geneva 2 were cordial and was a way forward in the overall Peace Process, despite some disagreements between the LTTE and the Government. De Silva made this observation at a media briefing to convey the outcome of the talks at the Presidential Secretariat. more..

Nov 1 (PISL) Government Security forces sources yesterday explained that the closure of the Muhamalai gateway to the Jaffna Peninsula was caused by an LTTE attack on the army�s Jaffna frontline on August 11 evening. The initial bombardment was directed at army fortifications which straddled the entry/exit point, a senior military official said. The LTTE evicted the army from Muhamalai point but troops regained the lost territory after a series of bloody encounters. more..

Nov 1 (PISL) As an inducement for giving up terrorist activities, surrendered LTTE cadres would be provided with overseas jobs, the government announced yesterday. �They will be found jobs here or abroad, depending on their choice, after they undergo rehabilitation,� government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. more..

Nov 1 (LNP) India is willing to provide much needed baby food, sugar and rice to Sri Lanka`s shortages-hit Jaffna peninsula -- provided traders from there are ready to pick up the goods in Tamil Nadu. The Indian government is in touch with its Sri Lankan counterpart regarding this, and any exports through Tamil traders will be done only with the knowledge of Colombo and the Sri Lankan Red Cross, it is reliably learnt. more..

Nov 1 (LNP) A fire reduced the Arpico factory at Mattegoda to rubble around 9.00 a.m. yesterday. The loss has been estimated at almost 60 million rupees. The factory was manufacturing Rigifoam and Plastic water tanks. A spokesman for the Colombo Fire Brigade said they had first dispatched 12 fire engines and water bowsers to Mattegoda. They were reinforced by the Ratmalana Airport Fire Brigade and branches in Wellawatte and Mount Lavinia. more..

Nov 1 (LNP) Most dreaded terror networks the LTTE and the ISI have joined hands. LTTE wants to use ISI expertise to create serious trouble for Sri Lanka Government. ISI wants LTTE to help creating havoc in Southern India. The ISI catch in Mysore is the first indication. Indian intelligence agencies are working overnight to unravel the Colombo connection, which is surfacing now as investigations get deeper. more..

Nov 1 (SAMN) The United National Party (UNP) continuing its restructuring initiative under the leadership of Ranil Wickremasinghe, appointed its senior members Gamini Jayawickrema Perera (MP), Gamini Lokuge, P Dayaratne (MP), and Amara Piyasili Rathnayke (MP) as vice presidents of the party. more..

Nov 1 (SAMN) TNA MP, R. Sampanthan Tuesday wrote to President Mahinda Rajapaksa calling for an end to the terror that has overtaken villages in the north and east as a result of the killings and abductions carried out by paramilitary groups and security personnel, over the past few months. more..

Nov 1 (TN) Upcountry workers at Hatton Bogantalawa tea-estate staged stayed away from work and picketed Tuesday, demanding increase in salary for estate workers, sources in Hatton said. A similar protest campaign was carried out in Talawakkele Tuesday. Today' picketting is a continuation of the protest campaign started at the Hatton bus depot Saturday, organizers of the protest said. more..

Nov 1 (SAMN) Education up to grade 11 has been made compulsory for students in LTTE-controlled areas by the "Tamileelam Child Protection Act." The �act� was enacted by the "Tamileelam Legislature Secretariat (TLS)" and became effective on October 15. The LTTE said the act laid down procedure and penalties for offences committed against children. more..

Nov 1 (SAMN) Country Director of the World Bank Naoko Ishii Tuesday pointed out that even though Sri Lanka has enjoyed remarkable economic growth annually over the lastfive years, the pattern by region was �alarming� as growth has been lop-sided. The World Bank Country Director said that economic growth has been concentrated in the Western Province with other regions lagging behind. more..

Nov 1 (DN) Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Ministry has implemented a special project "Randahadiya Nil Diyawara" to streamline the rural agricultural sector. The objective of this project is to assist the rural community in their agriculture activities and uplift their living conditions, Samurdhi and Poverty Alleviation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told the Daily News yesterday. more..

Nov 1 (Rediff) Despite appeals from both the government in Colombo and the Tamil Tigers, the Indian government has shown a distinct disinclination to take an active part in the resolution of the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka. The Indian reluctance stems from the severe indictment of Rajiv Gandhi-J R Jayewardane accord by various armchair analysts as hasty and imperfect. more..

Nov 1 (NIP) A Sri Lankan national, who was arrested in connection with heroin smuggling, has been sentenced to 40 years of rigorous imprisonment. Santhanam Subash alias Udaya has been convicted by the Thiruvananthapuram Fast-Track Court the other day. The sentence is awarded under various sections and will run concurrently. more..

Nov 1 (Hindu) Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy said the Sri Lankan Government made a "grievous mistake by submitting to Norwegian pressure" to attend the Geneva peace talks with the LTTE. He said the talks would have "no other outcome except legitimise a terrorist organisation." He said the LTTE was part of the problem. The "peace talks in Geneva is against Indian interest," he said, and more..

Nov 1 (HT) India is all set to supply food to the beleaguered and starving Jaffna, but the unresolved issues of transport and security are holding up movement, an official source in New Delhi told Hindustan Times. India has made it clear to the Sri Lankans that they will have to arrange vessels to carry the cargo and also guarantee their security. more..

Nov 1 (Xinhua) The Tamil Tiger rebel delegation who attended the two-day talks with the government returned to the island Wednesday morning, airport officials said. "They were sent to Kilinochchi (rebel held territory in the north) on board a government helicopter," said an airport official who declined to be named. more..

Nov 1 (DPA) Sri Lanka's Air Force bombed Tamil Tiger targets Wednesday that could be part of a 'major offensive' by the military, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said. The LTTE claimed that the army also fired artillery and rocket launchers at civilian areas. Even as there were no immediate reports of casualties, residents near Batticaloa were fleeing the area. more..

Nov 1 (AP) Sri Lanka's military carried out airstrikes on Tamil rebel artillery positions in the east Wednesday in the first air raid since failed peace talks in Switzerland last weekend, the Defense Ministry said. Separately, suspected Tamil rebels fatally shot a paramilitary guard in the northeast early Wednesday and a Tamil civilian was shot and killed in Tamil city of Jaffna also on Wednesday. more..

Nov 1 (AP) About 500 relatives of mostly Tamil civilians abducted amid a brutal separatist war gathered in the Sri Lankan capital Wednesday, carrying portraits of the missing and demanding the authorities fulfill promises to investigate the disappearances. The government appointed a retired judge in September to investigate the kidnappings, which appear to involve pro-government forces, but the judge has yet to submit his report. more..